Utilization of Dark Honey

[Todd Peterson]

Good afternoon. New board member with a request for some input.

It has been a while since I have attempted a batch of mead. I have dusted off my equipment and mead making resources with the expectation of picking the hobby back up again.

I keep bees as well as I make mead. In spite of myself, we have experienced several years of good honey harvest.

Anyone that has let gallons of honey sit around for a long period of time has experienced crystallization. I have de crystallized some of my older honey with the intention of making mead with honey from my beehives. The nectar source is comprised primarily of clover, tulip poplar, and other wildflowers.

The honey that I intend to use is really dark. Partially attributed to age and partially attributed to the heat exposure needed to de crystallize a gallon jug of solid honey. Free tip, if you are going to keep honey for an extended period of time, glass quart jars are your friend.

I am looking to use Curt Stock’s super berry melomel recipe for my first batch back into the hobby.

Based on the experience of the group, will a darker mead with a pronounced honey taste pair well with the berry mix for the mead?

If not, what would you do with gallons of this dark honey?

The quart on the left is the typical color of my wildflower honey. The quart on the right is the goodness in question.


Looking forward to your feedback. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

You will be adding a bunch of water, if the dark honey has more flavor, go ahead and use it.

 

[CKuhns]

Agree defiantelt not a prooblem tto use it.

I have never done the recipe you suggested. So not sure about what berries your using.

I have used very dark and crystallized honey and it often times has more caramel notes as heating it can drive off some of the aeromatics. I tend to pair it with dark fruits, blueberries, black berries, currents, wild Plums etc.

 

[SimPilot]

Dark or light. Doesn't matter. Taste does. Especially if you're doing pure mead. With berries or other additives, they will hide some off tastes....

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Good afternoon. New board member with a request for some input.

It has been a while since I have attempted a batch of mead. I have dusted off my equipment and mead making resources with the expectation of picking the hobby back up again.

I keep bees as well as I make mead. In spite of myself, we have experienced several years of good honey harvest.

Anyone that has let gallons of honey sit around for a long period of time has experienced crystallization. I have de crystallized some of my older honey with the intention of making mead with honey from my beehives. The nectar source is comprised primarily of clover, tulip poplar, and other wildflowers.

The honey that I intend to use is really dark. Partially attributed to age and partially attributed to the heat exposure needed to de crystallize a gallon jug of solid honey. Free tip, if you are going to keep honey for an extended period of time, glass quart jars are your friend.

I am looking to use Curt Stock’s super berry melomel recipe for my first batch back into the hobby.

Based on the experience of the group, will a darker mead with a pronounced honey taste pair well with the berry mix for the mead?

If not, what would you do with gallons of this dark honey?

The quart on the left is the typical color of my wildflower honey. The quart on the right is the goodness in question.


Looking forward to your feedback. Thanks in advance for the help.

Welcome to the forum. I think it’s a good plan to make a melomel with the darkened honey. The other option could be a bochet, where the honey is cooked to a deep brown. The esthetic of dark honey is simply a matter of choice, some varieties are darker than others and the same hives produce different hues depending on the time of year, yes?

 

[MX1]

Dark Bomm

 

[Todd Peterson]

Thank you all for the responses. I’ll move forward with the dark wildflower honey in a mixed berry mead.

I’m grateful for the input.